Online Discussion: How is the economy impacting you?
by Craig Swaggert
Solutions? What is to Blame? Personal Stories?
Union Roles? Healthcare? Trade?
Comments (4)
We have been preparing. written by Laura Kundsen , February 11, 2009
My husband and I have been preparing for this economic crisis for sometime. We worked on paying off all credit card debt. We have been scaling back trying to live on one income. This means no cable T.V., switching to pay as you go cell phones, and other budget cutting techniques. Now we are looking to move on to some land so we can build a home that limits our use of public energy and allows us to provide our family some of our own food.
We saw our system our economic prosperity based on continued growth unsustainable. The unlimited spending on "pork" projects in Washington since the late 80's was a sure sign our government was not acting responsibly. We experienced the rapid change in our society and how hard it has been to keep up. But our leaders keep focused on business as usually. It seemed inevitable our world and our country was heading for trouble.
Our country can recover. But we have to choose to lead the world through investment in the future. We must encourage the exploration and implementation of alternative energies. We must develop exportable products that fit the needs of a future based on quality of life not having a bunch of "cheap stuff." And the only way this will happen is if those of us who understand this reality choose to lead or work to influence.
Nothing to lose written by Sally Paulsen , February 12, 2009
I don't ever remember what it was like to live life any other way than by paycheck-to-paycheck, even when I was married with two full-time incomes. Count me in as one of those less likely to ever retire. I hardly get whipped up over the economic woes of Wall Street because, hey, I guess when you have nothing, you have nothing to lose...
My financial universe is very small and very much in the present moment, indeed.
Still Hopeful written by Marcus , February 13, 2009
I came off of Active Duty Army in November. I have been looking for a job since this past July, and have found nothing. My unemployment will dry up, and I still have yet to find anything. Why not have the state representatives and state senators cut their employees before they decide to cut the needed jobs (i.e. firefighters, policemen, etc)? We should also consider some sort of redistricting, so that each representative represents a larger area, which would cut the total number of representatives? Take their jobs as well as their staff away, and there would be more jobs and funds available for more people. There has got to be a better way of having people's thoughts and ideas represented in government, instead of having so many representatives that do not even REPRESENT.
I thought I was prepared written by Tom Schunk , February 21, 2009
For several years, I had been stashing money away in a savings account to eventually replace the roof, gutters, and siding of my place.
On May 29th I lost my job as a computer programmer. I was denied unemployment and lost the subsequent appeal.
Since then, I've been living off my savings and cutting costs and some food donated from local relatives. That and some occassional temporary part time delivery jobs.
To put it rather bluntly - the job market is oversaturated with people looking for and needing jobs. With every large layoff announced it becomes more oversaturated.
At times, I wonder what will happen when I run out of savings to pay the mortgage, the electric bill, the natural gas bill, etc. Will I lose the house I saved to put 10% down on and have lived in for nearly 10 years on a 30 year fixed rate mortgage?
.png)
